"California Über Alles" is the debut single by American
punk rock band
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing p ...
. It was the group's first recording and was released in June 1979 on the Optional Music label, with "The Man with the Dogs" appearing as its
B-side. The title track was re-recorded in 1980 for the band's first album, ''
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'' is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. It was first released on September 2, 1980, through Cherry Red Records in the United Kingdom, and I.R.S. Records in the United States. ...
'', and the original recording as well as the B-side were later included on the 1987 compilation ''
Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
''Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death'' (stylized as ''Give me convenience OR give me death'') is a compilation album by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys. It was released in June 1987 through front man Jello Biafra's record label Al ...
''.
Meaning
The lyrics were written by
Jello Biafra
Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.
Initially ac ...
and John Greenway for their band The Healers. Biafra composed the music in one of his rare attempts at composing on bass.
[Jello Biafra and The Melvins. Liner notes. '']Sieg Howdy!
''Sieg Howdy!'' is the second album by Jello Biafra and The Melvins. It consists of songs recorded during the same sessions that produced their first collaboration '' Never Breathe What You Can't See'' but not used on that album, plus remixes o ...
'' San Francisco: Alternative Tentacles. 2005.
The title is an allusion to the first stanza of the
national anthem of Germany, which begins with the words "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" ("Germany, Germany above everything"). After the end of the
Third Reich
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in 1945, the anthem was shortened to just the third stanza of the original song, as this passage is sometimes associated with
Nazism
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) i ...
and, in following, claims a large area of land that is no longer contained within the current borders of Germany.
The lyrics are a pointed, satirical attack on
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of ...
, the
Governor of California from 1975 to 1983 (and later 2011–2019), and are sung from his perspective, as an imaginary version of Brown outlines a
hippie-
fascist vision of America. The line "Serpent's egg already hatched" is a reference to a comment on the corrosive nature of power from
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's play ''
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...
'', and also a reference to the
Ingmar Bergman film ''
The Serpent's Egg'' set in
1920s Berlin
The Golden Twenties was a particular vibrant period in the history of Berlin. After the Greater Berlin Act the city became the third largest municipality in the world and experienced its heyday as a major world city. It was known for its leadershi ...
that gets its title from the Shakespeare play. The lines "Big Bro on white horse is near" and "now it is 1984" refer respectively to a statement Brown made during his first governorship that Americans were supposedly looking for "a leader on a white horse", and to the totalitarian regime of
George Orwell's classic novel ''
Nineteen Eighty-Four
''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also stylised as ''1984'') is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and fina ...
'' to describe a future (from a 1979 perspective) where Jerry Brown has become president, and his "suede/denim secret police" kill "uncool" people in "organic poison gas" chambers.
After the song's initial release, mild confusion arose in the Bay Area music scene as to why Biafra (who was outspoken about his
far-left political views) was targeting Jerry Brown (a notably liberal politician for the time). Brown succeeded
Ronald Reagan as governor of California, and Reagan was a seemingly more obvious target. However, Biafra frequently expressed his disdain for
hippies, and the Dead Kennedys often satirized both
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
and
right-wing politicians.
The song is also an early example of Dead Kennedys' style, with heavy
surf rock and militaristic overtones. It begins with sinister military-style drums, joined by an ominous bass riff. Biafra paints the scene in low, sneering tones before bursting into the manic chanted chorus; after two verses and choruses, the song shifts into a slower middle eight section set to a martial drumbeat over which Jello Biafra imagines the nightmarish actions of Brown's
SS-styled secret police (''"Come quietly to the
camp
Camp may refer to:
Outdoor accommodation and recreation
* Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site
* a temporary settlement for nomads
* Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...
; you'd look nice as a drawstring lamp,"'' a reference to the allegation that
lampshades were made from human skin during the Holocaust). The pace speeds up as it approaches the last iteration of the chorus, closing with a repeated chord sequence accompanied by a final burst of explosive drums.
German-American author Gero Hoschek was inspired by the song to title a 1988 magazine piece about the "Golden State" in the German ''
Zeit Magazin'' weekly titled "Kalifornia Über Alles!" as well as a never–produced screenplay. Biafra complained, and was provided with a copy of the movie script, which he read and liked; understanding that there was no copyright violation, he gave Hoscheck permission to use the similar name.
Alternative versions
The original, improvised version (containing familiar lyrics but different music performed by the Dancing Assholes and Biafra's first band, The Healers) is included as the final track on the vinyl version of the "Rocky Mountain Low" compilation.
The version recorded for ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'' was played slightly faster, featuring a much more strident vocal from Biafra and a fuller, more confrontational sound altogether than the single mix.
On their EP ''
In God We Trust, Inc.'', they recorded an updated version of the song, titled "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now", about then-
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Ronald Reagan, including a lounge-jazz introduction, different lyrics, and several verses set at a much slower pace. A live version of the song was recorded with the instrumentals of the original version of the song.
Jello Biafra
Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.
Initially ac ...
has made satirical references to the song in his political advocacy. A speech of his appears on the
spoken word
Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
album ''Mob Action Against the State'' that is entitled "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now: War, Terrorism & Beyond". After the election of
Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor of California, Biafra commented, "California Über Alles indeed".
Another updated version of this song about
Governor Schwarzenegger, called "Kali-Fornia Über Alles 21st Century", was performed live (among a few other Dead Kennedys classics) when
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...
toured with the band
Melvins to support their
collaboration album in 2004. A live recording of this new version appears on their second collaborative effort, ''
Sieg Howdy!
''Sieg Howdy!'' is the second album by Jello Biafra and The Melvins. It consists of songs recorded during the same sessions that produced their first collaboration '' Never Breathe What You Can't See'' but not used on that album, plus remixes o ...
''.
Fans of
Dulwich Hamlet F.C.
Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill.
History
The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. T ...
in South London als
regularly sing a version of the songas a tribute to their longest-serving manager - Gavin Rose. Many of the words are replaced in this version, e.g. "Dulwich Hamlet" instead of "California".
Cover versions
* The song was sampled in "Dead Ken Beats" by
The Prodigy, and featured in the 2010 film ''
The Social Network
''The Social Network'' is a 2010 American biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the 2009 book ''The Accidental Billionaires'' by Ben Mezrich. It portrays the founding of social networking websi ...
''.
* The song was updated by
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy were an American hip-hop musical ensemble, active during the early 1990s. The band was formed in 1990 by Michael Franti (vocals, production, misc. instruments) and Rono Tse (drums, percussion, programming), w ...
when they released a cover version in 1992 on the album ''
Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury
''Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury'' is the debut album by alternative hip hop crew The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, released in 1992. ''Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury'' was met with critical acclaim.
"Television, the Drug of the Nation" ...
''. They replaced references to Jerry Brown with references to
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 36th governor of California from 1991 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as a United States senator from California betw ...
.
* The song was also widely known in Poland (as "Kalifornia Ponad Wszystko") thanks to the
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
by Polish rocker
Kazik Staszewski
Kazimierz Piotr Staszewski (born 12 March 1963), also known as Kazik, is a Polish singer and songwriter. He is the son of the architect and poet Stanisław Staszewski. He is the frontman of the band '' Kult'',Alexander Stephan, "The Americanizat ...
with his band
Kazik Na Żywo ("Na Żywo Ale W Studio" album, 1994).
* The band
Hasidic New Wave
Hasidic New Wave is an American experimental klezmer music group. Its members, all of whom were improvisational jazz musicians from downtown Manhattan, formed for the purpose of fusing Hasidic musical styles (such as freylekhs and horas) with ele ...
perform a remake of the song on their 1999 album, ''Kabalogy''. In their version, titled "Giuliani Über Alles", Jerry Brown is replaced by former Mayor of New York
Rudy Giuliani.
* British anarcho-pop group
Chumbawamba covered the song in their 1988 album ''A Night of Punk Nostalgia''.
*
The Delgados
The Delgados are a Scottish indie rock band formed in Glasgow in 1994. The band is composed of Alun Woodward (vocals, guitar), Emma Pollock (vocals, guitar), Stewart Henderson (bass guitar), and Paul Savage (drums).
Biography
The band was fo ...
cover the song in their ''
Peel Sessions
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
'' CD set.
*
Six Feet Under do a cover the song on their ''
Graveyard Classics
''Graveyard Classics'' is a cover album by American death metal band Six Feet Under. It includes cover versions of such classic rock hits as "TNT" by AC/DC, "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple, and "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix.
It is the b ...
'' album.
*
Deceased
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
covered the song on their punk covers album ''Rotten to the Core''.
*
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
band
Ceremony has covered the song.
*
John Linnell
John Sidney Linnell ( ; born June 12, 1959) is an American musician, known primarily as one half of the Brooklyn-based alternative rock band They Might Be Giants with John Flansburgh, which was formed in 1982. In addition to singing and songwri ...
and his band The Statesmen covered it live at least once during his "State Songs" tour, choosing to perform it because it mentioned the state of California.
*
Dramarama
Dramarama is an American, New Jersey–based alternative rock/power pop band, who later moved to Los Angeles. The band was formed in New Jersey in 1982 and disbanded in 1994. The band formally reunited in 2003 following an appearance on VH1's ...
has recorded a version, updated in 2003 about California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger containing the line "You will lift weights in school".
* A 1986 live recording focused on Ronald Reagan on the album ''
Mutiny On The Bay
''Mutiny on the Bay'' is an album of live recordings by the Dead Kennedys. The album’s material was compiled from a number of concerts in 1982 and 1986 in the band’s hometown of San Francisco with an additional track taken from the band’s ...
'' with live recordings from 1982 and 1986.
*
Jayne County
Wayne Rogers (born July 13, 1947), better known by her stage name Jayne County is an American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer whose career has spanned six decades. Under the name Wayne County (inspired by Wayne County, Michigan), ...
covered the song with She Wolves about California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The green vinyl single was released under artist name ''Jayne County Meets The She Wolves'' by the German label Trash 2001.
* Mexican-American death metal band
Brujeria
Various types of witchcraft and occult religious practices exist in Latin American and Afro-Caribbean cultures, known in Spanish as (pronounced ). Influenced by indigenous religion, Catholicism, and European witchcraft, the purpose may range ...
covers Dead Kennedys with the song "California Uber Aztlan" in 2010.
* German industrial band T.A.S.S. album "Maniafesto" 1994.
* Greek punk band
Panx Romana
Panx Romana is a Greek punk rock band that was established in 1977. They are very popular among Greek anarchists and have done multiple concerts in many locations of Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athên ...
perform a remake of the song named "Πάρτυ κωφαλάλων" (Party for deaf-mutes) in their 1996 album "Διαγωγή Κοσμία".
*
AJJ's song "
Joe Arpaio
Joseph Michael Arpaio (; born June 14, 1932) is an American former law enforcement officer and politician. He served as the 36th Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona for 24 years, from 1993 to 2017, losing reelection to Democrat Paul Penzone i ...
is a Punk" shares the same opening and closes with an "Arizona über alles" chorus.
* ''Top Ranking'', a "mixtape" by
DJ Diplo x
Santogold (Santigold) includes the song "Big Belly Guns" which utilizes the intro to "California über alles". This record was released in 2008.
* German punk band
Die Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen (literally "The Dead Trousers", figuratively "The Deadbeats") is a German punk rock band from Düsseldorf.
History
The current members of Die Toten Hosen are Campino (Andreas Frege), Kuddel (Andreas von Holst), Vom (Stephe ...
covered the song, which is included in their cover album 'Learning English: Lesson 2'. The version features the updated lyrics and
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing p ...
frontman Jello Biafra sharing vocals with Campino.
* Hungarian rock band
Tankcsapda made a song titled "California über alles" in 2006.
*
Combichrist covered the song on their album ''One Fire'', with lyrics updated with the year 1984 changed to 2024.
* Thrash metal band
Vio-lence
Vio-lence is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout its existence, they released demo tapes, one EP and three studio albums. Vio-lence is best-known for their association with the 1980s Bay Area ...
released a cover version of this song in 2020.
Charts
See also
*
Ronald Reagan in music
The appearance of Ronald Reagan in music includes mentions and depictions of the actor-turned-politician in songs, albums, music videos, and band names, particularly during his two terms as President of the United States. Reagan first appeared ...
References
External links
Jello Biafra discusses the history of "California Über Alles"on
KQED's ''The California Report'', July 14, 2006.
{{DEFAULTSORT:California uber alles
1979 debut singles
Dead Kennedys songs
Songs written by Jello Biafra
Songs about California
Jerry Brown
Songs about American politicians
Satirical songs
Protest songs
Anti-fascist music
1979 songs